R. Lutz: Prelude in F minor (world premiere) - J. S. Bach: St. John Passion, BWV 245 (version 1749)

No listener can be left unmoved by the bleak magnificence of the introductory chorus “Herr, unser Herrscher” (Lord, thou our master), set to the text of Psalm 8. Throbbing bass notes, streams of blood and violent blows in the middle voices as well as incessant friction in the mercilessly descending woodwinds create a soundscape that goes beyond subjective suffering and reveals a horizon of universal significance. In what is perhaps the darkest setting of devotional music in history, the composer inimitably captures the inextricable nature of death and glorification of the Saviour.

Concert venue

Thomaskirche, Leipzig